Mailbox of the future: Drone delivery nets may soon replace postmen

Drone delivery nets, proposed by two Australian inventors, may become the solution that Amazon and Google are looking for in order to start mass delivery of small packages via unmanned aircrafts.

The concept of the so-called Skynet drone delivery system has
made it into the semifinals of the 'Drones for Good' contest in
the United Arab Emirates, together with 20 other projects.

Unlike the evil computer network of the same name from the
Terminator movies, the initiative by Royal Australian Air Force
Corporal Clinton Burchat and electronics engineer Grant Bajema is
aimed at aiding mankind.

The duo claims to have found a way to make “the hardest” final
meters of drone delivery safe and error free.

“Amazon wants to land a drone in your backyard. Google wants
to hover above your backyard and drop the package by [a] string.
But that’s no good if you don’t have a backyard; or it could come
into contact with children or pets,” Burchat said, as quoted
by the Guardian.

The Aussie team has designed a barcoded, GPS-tagged net, which is
to be mounted not only in backyards, but also on the balconies of
apartment blocks.

According to the concept, the GPS would direct the drones to
within sight of the net, while LED lights would guide the
unmanned aircraft while making the drop.

“From there, they’d read the barcode on the net, confirm it’s
the net that it’s looking for, and then drop the delivery,”
Burchat explained.

He also said that the delivery nets would have to be installed by
professionals “with basic skills to secure it to a wall and
make sure it’s completely level, otherwise you won't have the
accuracy that is needed for the delivery."

In an earlier interview with Gizmag website, Burchat stressed
that Skynet “would be designed to work with services like
Amazon and Google."

Previously, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said it will be at least four
or five years before regulatory approval for drone delivery is
secured.

The final stage of Drones for Good is to take place in Dubai,
with a prize of $1 million awaiting the winner.

The competition is part of the United Arab Emirates' push to take
the lead in the civilian drone industry, which it predicts will
be worth $10 billion by 2025.